Cartoons that consumed cannabis

Cartoon characters are an essential part of our childhood, growing up with us and often becoming our heroes along the way. However, for the most part, at the time we were not smart enough to understand what made them so funny and lovable. Some of the most famous cartoon characters that we never saw light up a joint on screen were probably secret cannabis users. They were never explicitly shown doing so for obvious reasons, but they radiated 100% stoner vibes!

Furthermore, although intended for a child audience, the cartoon series are created by adults. For this reason, it is not surprising that they are full of hidden symbolism and characters whose fondness for cannabis completely escaped our innocent gaze. And we're sure that more than one of them will surprise you!

Popeye, a veteran cannabis consumer

The famous Popeye entertained the generation of children who now make up our parents, grandparents and grandmothers from the early 1930s until well into the 1980s. This sailor claimed to draw extraordinary strength from spinach. However, the cartoon's relationship with the vegetable has raised more than just suspicions. Dana Larsen, a Canadian activist in favour of cannabis legalisation, argues that this brave sailor consumed weed in an article called "What's in Popeye's Pipe".

Apparently, during the 1920s and 1930s, when Popeye was in the midst of being created, weed was commonly referred to in street slang as "spinach". As proof of this nickname, we have the song 'The Spinach Song' (1938) by the jazz group Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends. In addition to this codename, Dana Larsen also found other evidence to support his thesis. Apparently, the anti-marijuana propaganda of the time claimed that cannabis consumption produced super-strength. A claim which can hardly have frightened away many potential users, right?

Goofy, the most forgetful dog on television

This likeable character, supposedly a dog, although many also saw him as a cow, was created by Walt Disney in 1932, so we are dealing with another veteran user who advocated for cannabis under the childish gaze of our clueless grandparents. Unlike Popeye, this character did not explicitly consume any green herbs, but his behaviour leaves little room for doubt.

Seen from an adult perspective, it's hard to avoid thinking he was stoned up to his black eyebrows. With his easy smile, this friend of Mickey Mouse is always relaxed, very funny and quite forgetful. These character traits could easily be explained by the effects of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis that can induce relaxation and euphoria but can also cause short-term memory problems when under its influence.

Shaggy, from Scooby-Doo, was also a weed-lover

Shaggy Rogers, from the cartoon series Scooby-Doo, is a character who is defined by his cheerful spirit, always away with the fairies, and also for having a high dose of paranoia, especially seeing ghosts where there are none. His is a similar case to Goofy, given that we never see the act of consumption itself, but we can see the effects of cannabis on his character.

A good example of this is the voracious appetite his character possesses, as one of the well-known side effects of THC is what many users call "the munchies", in other words, the unbridled hunger often experienced after consuming cannabis. In addition, Shaggy usually seems a bit "dopey" throughout the cartoons. This state of sedation and low alertness could also be due to the relaxing effects of cannabis. And what about his dog, as dumb as his owner? If christening his pet Scooby-Doo ('Doobie' being a synonym for joint in English) doesn't signify his love for weed, I don't know what does!

Michelangelo of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a total party animal

Since we have already introduced the theme of cartoon characters with munchies, we couldn't overlook this ninja turtle who's literally addicted to pizza; and indeed, hypercaloric foods are the favourite choice of cannabis users to satisfy their hunger.

Destined to be the funniest of the four turtles, his creators also gave him a Californian accent that many have described as very typically 'stoner'. This is because his dialogue is peppered with slang very similar to that heard among weed smokers in a region full of surfers with a carefree air and a fondness for Mary Jane. Add to this the fact that, back in the early 1990s, he starred in an ad for Partnership for a Drug-Free America, which featured Michelangelo suggesting that a boy who was offered weed should get a pizza to go with it. However, Donatello was around to shoot down the idea with "Get real. Drug dealers are dorks, don't even talk to them".

Garfield, addicted to "lasagna"

This heavy-eyed cat hates Mondays and loves lasagne. After consuming it, he usually philosophises about life at length and lies on the roof of the hutch that serves as his sofa. This could clearly be another case of a classic stoner attitude, although it could also be a bachelor flat where lasagne is prepared with a special "herbal" recipe.

What we do know is that his disquisitions on human behaviour and his relaxed attitude cannot go unnoticed when we watch the series as adults. Besides, cats are always trying to eat your weed plants, so this one is a no-brainer.

Brian, the dog from "Family Guy"

As we move on to more current animated series, things change a little. We can leave the subtleties behind because many of them are aimed at adult viewers. Thus we are introduced to Brian, the dog from Seth McFarlane's "Family Guy", who on several occasions can be seen hitting a bong, while he has no qualms to frequently talk about his experiences with weed.

It may seem strange for a dog to smoke cannabis, but after analysing previous examples of stoner dogs, nothing surprises us anymore. And with Peter Griffin as his owner, what else would you expect? Cannabis is so present in this series that it has even been banned in some countries where its consumption has not yet been legalised. This is the case of Venezuela, which in 2009 decided to veto its broadcast on national television channels, considering that the series incited viewers to consume cannabis. In this country they don't hold back when it comes to vetoing American series, no matter how famous they may be. The famous Simpson family was also removed from Venezuelan channels a few years ago.

The Simpsons, a series full of weed references

We all know Homer Simpson's fondness for his favourite beer, Duff. But we're sure you've probably noticed that many of his absent-mindedness and his fondness for doughnuts don't quite fit in with a state of permanent drunkenness, but rather with the occasional cannabis high. In The Simpsons we can find more than one character who consumes weed, such as the school bus driver Otto, who makes no secret of his fondness for our favourite plant throughout the series.

However, in the episode ‘Weekend at Burnsie's’, which first aired in 2002, the creators stopped the insinuations and began to show the true reality of Springfield. This happens when Homer is prescribed and finally consumes medical marijuana on the small screen and goes on to advocate for the legalisation of cannabis in the United States.

Randy Marsh, cannabis grower on South Park

Following the animated adventures aimed at adults, we reach the famous and controversial television series South Park, where we can find the character of Randy Marsh, the proud owner of Tegridy Farms, a fictional weed farm located in the state of Colorado, United States. This character, who had already shown his fondness for cannabis throughout the series, manages to realise his dream of becoming a grower in season 22. Good old Randy, who's character was inspired by the father of Trey Parker, one of the creators of the series, has an unhealthy attraction to ganja, going so far as to intentionally give himself cancer just to be able to obtain weed legally.

To this end, he tried many methods, including smoking, sun-tanning, and putting mobile phones on his face. Eventually he came up with the idea of sticking his testicles in a microwave, as seen in the episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken", just to get his hands on some pot.

Bender from Futurama, a robot with many vices

Bender Bending Rodriguez is a futuristic robot with a bad habit or two: he drinks alcohol to recharge, has around 100,000 TB of porn on his hard drive and smoking cigars is his favourite pastime. Besides that, he's pretty good at stealing things, talking to penguins and performing magic. He's also into psychotropic drugs, but all he needs to do is plug himself into an electric current to hallucinate for a while.

Here we could say that electricity works like a drug for him, and who knows what other things he may have put into his body. Logically, it would not be surprising that, despite his creators wanting to avoid controversy, this curious character would have also tried to stimulate his senses with a little weed in his spare time.

Rick Sanchez, a tormented scientific genius

Rick Sanchez, or Rick C-137, the co-star of the animated series Rick and Morty, is the smartest person in the multiverse. He is a scientific genius responsible for many things including mass murder, the destruction of an entire planet as well as many other heinous crimes. Rick is well known in many universes and lives with his daughter's family.

We recently learned about his past and why he is so obsessed with inventions. In one episode, it was shown how Rick's wife and daughter died, so he created a clone of her. His catchphrase, 'wubba lubba dub dub dub', is not funny, it literally means "I'm in so much pain, please help me". To overcome this, Rick takes drugs and consumes alcohol. And there's nothing better than a few nice tokes on a joint to escape from a past that never stops tormenting him.

BoJack Horseman, the anthropomorphised horse-actor

BoJack Horseman was one of the most prominent actors during the 1990s and his show, called 'Horsin Around', was a huge success, earning him a lot of money and fame. Nowadyas, however, he is a depressed individual who has been forgotten by society. He tried his best to regain his popularity, but nothing worked. A bad-tempered character, he is hardly what we'd call a sociable guy, and he has a lot of regrets. Bojack was already a heavy drinker and smoker, but he started taking substances of all kinds, including cannabis, to overcome his depression and the things he has been going through, including the anguish and the failure of his career. After all, weed is a great substance to treat depressive symptoms, as we have seen in several examples in this "rogue's gallery" of animated stoners.

We hope you've enjoyed this list and perhaps it will inspire you to revisit other cartoons, whether from your childhood or adulthood, to find all those hidden cannabis clues you've overlooked until now!